pacific forum History of Pacific Forum

PacNet #6 – Taiwan’s Communication Problem

Less than two months before the Taiwan presidential election, incumbent Chen Shui-bian finds himself accused of having sunk the U.S.-Taiwan relationship to an historical nadir. Apparent misperceptions of the mood in Washington by Taiwanese policy-makers and advisors have led to their failure to mount an effective campaign to explain their positions. To halt the freefall in its international standing, Taiwan will have to rethink its diplomatic communication strategies and begin engaging Washington more effectively on numerous postelection issues.